shut down for hours when the students of polytechnics in Ogun State
protested the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics,
ASUP, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics, SSANIP.
The students, numbering over 200, drawn from three polytechnics in
Ilaro, Igbesa and Abeokuta under the auspices of National
Association of Polytechnics Students, Ogun State axis blocked some
major roads in the ancient city.
Students Of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, in a peaceful
protest over the nationwide strike embarked upon by Academic Staff
Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in Abeokuta on Thursday (27/6/13).
Armed with placards with inscriptions such as: 'Government please.
don't jeopardise our future', 'Government, don't destroy
polytechnics', 'Federal Government please save our souls' and 'Our
lecturers deserve the best' among others.
The aggrieved students caused gridlock in Panseke, Oke-Ilewo,Ibara,
Kuto and Oke-Mosan.
Some travellers who were going to Abeokuta as well as those leaving
the city were held up in the traffic jam for hours as the students
used their school buses to block Presidential boulevard along
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta .
Attempt by the students to enter the governor's office in Oke-Mosan
was, however, unsuccessful as security men shut the gates against
them.
It took the intervention of policemen who persuaded the aggrieved
students to free the road.
The students were later attended to by the Secretary to the State
Government, SSG, Taiwo Adeoluwa, on behalf of the Governor Ibikunle
Amosun, who was not around at the time of the protest.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Chairman Caretaker Committee of
the Students Union Government, MAPOLY, Mallam Abdulghaffar Adeleye,
lamented the insensitivity of the Federal Government to their plight,
noting that issues that warranted the strike bordered mainly on the
demand for better funding of polytechnics in the country.
We are tired of staying at home
Adeleye said they decided to approach the governor for his
intervention, regardless of the nature of the issue involved because
of the attention his government is giving to matters relating to
educational development in the state.
He said: "We have been at home for 64 days now. It is regrettableto
note the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the plights of
these polytechnic staff, perhaps not taking into cognisance the number
of students who are currently idle and might be usedto perpetrate
evils.
"We know this issue is beyond the state governor but we believe
Governor Amosun values education and being a polytechnic graduate
himself he will help us resolve this matter between our schools and
the Federal Government."
We will step in, Amosun assures
Responding on behalf of Governor Amosun, the SSG assured the
students that his administration would step in and help to resolve the
matter.
The governor also assured that he would take the matter before the
Federal Government for quick settlement, affirming that his
administration places a high premium on education.
He said: "Since we came, we have not taken our students for granted
and we will not take you for granted. As a government,we have always
applied about 25 per cent of our budget to education because to us
education is key to development.
"Your demands are clearly beyond us, but as you have requested, we
will take your case to the Federal Government because we are also not
happy about the development."
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